LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

Bacchānal

Bacchānal n sg (genitive Bacchānālis)
Classical[bakˈkʰaː.naɫ]Ecclesiastical[bakˈkaː.nal]

Meaning

  1. place devoted to Bacchus, where the Bacchanalia where celebrated
  2. alternativeraresingularalternative form of Bacchānālia
    NEIQVIS·EORVM·SACANAL·HABVISE·VELET·SEI·QVES ESENT·QVEI·SIBEI·DEICERENT·NECESVS·ESE·BACANAL·HABERE·EEIS·VTEI·AD·PR·VRBANVM ROMAM·VENIRENT·DEQVE·EEIS·REBVS·VBEI·EORVM·VER[B]A·AVDITA·ESENT·VTEI·SENATVS NOSTER·DECERNERET·DVM·NE·MINVS·SENATOR[I]BVS·C·ADESENT·QVOM·EA·RE·COSOLORETVRLet no one of them hold Bacchanalia. If anybody says that it's necessary for them to hold Bacchanalia, let them come to Rome to the urban prefect and, when his words regarding the affair have been heard, let our senate decide, provided that no less than 100 senators are present when that matter is discussed.183 BCE, CIL I² 581 3–6, in Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, volume I fascicle 2, Ernst Lommatzch & Theodor Mommsen (editors), Berlin, 1918, page 437

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeBacchānal—
genitiveBacchānālis—
dativeBacchānālī—
accusativeBacchānal—
ablativeBacchānālī—
vocativeBacchānal—

Bacchānal (old orthog. Bacānal, v. S. C. Bacch. A. V. C. 568, Wordsworth, Fragm. and Spec. p. 172: Baccānal, Plaut. Aul. 3, 1, 3), ālis, n. from Bacchus, like Fagutal, Frutinal, Lupercal, etc.; v. App. 1 to the Pref.,
I. a place devoted to Bacchus, the place where the festivals of Bacchus were celebrated: NE QVIS EORVM BACANAL HABVISE VELET, S. C. Bacch. v. 4: EA BACANALIA... IN DIEBVS X... FACIATIS VTEI DISMOTA SIENT, ib. v. 28: ad Baccas veni in Baccanal, Plaut. Aul. 3, 1, 3: aperire, id. ib. 8: Bacchanalia, Liv. 39, 18, 7.—
II. Transf., in the plur.: Bacchānālia, ium (gen. sometimes Bacchananorum, Sall. H. 3, 79 Dietsch; Firm. Mat. Err. Prof. Relig. 6, 9), a feast of Bacchus, the orgies of Bacchus (diff. from the Roman festival of Liber; v. Liberalia); celebrated once in three years, at night, and in the most tumultuous and licentious manner (cf. Smith, Antiq.); hence, prohibited in Rome, A.U.C. 568, B.C. 186, by a decree of the Senate, Senatusconsultum de Bacchanalibus, which is yet preserved (v. Wordsworth, Fragm. and Spec. p. 172 sq.); Liv. 39, 9, 3; 39, 12, 4; 39, 16, 10; 39, 18, 7 sq.; 39, 41, 6; Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 37; Tac. H. 2, 68.—Rarely in sing.: Bacchanal facere, Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 43 Lorenz ad loc.; id. Bacch. 1, 1, 20; so, exercere, id Suppos Amph Tun' me mactes? v. 12: habere, in the abovementioned S. C.—Poet.: Bacchanalia vivere, to live in the manner of the Bacchantes, to live riotously and wantonly, Juv. 2, 3.

Origins

Substantivation of apocopated Bacchānāle, nominative neuter singular of Bacchānālis (“pertaining to Bacchus”), perhaps from intermediary Bacchānus + -ālis, from Bacchus + -ānus; see -al.

In English words that came into English from Bacchānal

  • BacchanaliaBacchānālia

Quick answers

What does Bacchānal mean in Latin?
Bacchānal, a noun, means “place devoted to Bacchus, where the Bacchanalia where celebrated; alternative form of Bacchānālia”.
What is the genitive of Bacchānal?
The genitive singular is Bacchānālis. Bacchānal is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce Bacchānal?
In classical Latin, [bakˈkʰaː.naɫ]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [bakˈkaː.nal].